1. Field
Embodiments relate to closed captioning systems. More particularly, embodiments relate to detecting a garbled closed captioning and providing an alert when garbled closed captioning is detected.
2. Background
Closed captioning is an important component for modern television delivery. By allowing people to “see” what is being said in a closed captioning box on a video display, closed captioning brings a fuller television experience to people with hearing problems and others. For example, closed captioning can be used as a tool by people learning to read, or trying to learn a new language, or in an environment where standard television audio would be difficult to hear or is intentionally muted.
Of course, such systems have limited utility if the closed captioning data is garbled, which would lead to gibberish being displayed in the closed captioning box. Closed captioning garbling can arise when a system converts frame rates from a lower frame rate to a higher frame rate, for example, from 24 frames per second to 60 frames per second. In such cases, the closed captioning data may be repeated. A second source of closed captioning garbling results from errors due to noise or other transmission problems.
Whatever the cause, currently detecting garbled closed captioning is not readily accomplished without visual feedback of the closed captioning data. While garbled closed captioning may lead to complaints from a service provider's customers, most service provider's customers do not use closed captioning. Instead, any complaints are more likely to be in the form of formal complaints from the Federal Communications Commission, which could lead to fines. Avoiding such complaints and fines is obviously beneficial.